# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 245
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4883 "2025-08-19T17:29:59Z")
New (well. New video) What-if? About a mole of moles. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lLlwvmu1ZeA/maxresdefault.jpg "What if you had a mole of moles?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLlwvmu1ZeA) Brian ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4884 "2025-08-19T22:41:35Z")
The written version of that one is great. And one of the earliest what-ifs (#4): **[What if? - A mole of moles](https://what-if.xkcd.com/4/)**. Any web page referencing star-nosed moles gets extra credit on my scorecard. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4885 "2025-08-19T22:49:17Z")
Ahh, so that’s where the Meat Planet came from: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZP7K9SycELA/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH8A4AC_gKKAgwIABABGHIgUSg8MA8=&rs=AOn4CLBF8yF2ukJmyYRMzqLHX8hq7NdosA "Carl Sagan's Cosmos: 'The Meat Planet'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP7K9SycELA) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4886 "2025-08-20T15:17:33Z")
> **[Cesium](https://xkcd.com/3131/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cesium.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cesium.png) “Someday I hope to find a way to mess up a recipe so badly that it draws the attention of the International Air Transport Association, the International Mathematical Olympiad, or the NSA.” I’m sure that Black Hat Guy could draw the attention of all three at once. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4887 "2025-08-20T15:51:12Z")
This appears to have actually happened. > **[FDA Issues Multi-State Warning Over Radioactive Contamination in Frozen...](https://www.foodandwine.com/walmart-great-value-frozen-shrimp-recall-radioactive-contamination-11793938)** > > The FDA announced a recall of certain Great Value frozen shrimp products after detecting Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. The contamination was first flagged by U.S. Customs at multiple ports before FDA testing confirmed the presence in one sample.... ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4888 "2025-08-20T16:43:42Z")
By the way, did you know that our ports include a radiation portal that containers entering the country have to go through before exiting? It’s nice to know they work. Unfortunately, they won’t catch rotten shrimp, only radioactive ones. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4889 "2025-08-20T17:24:55Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > did you know that our ports include a radiation portal that containers entering the country have to go through before exiting? I do now! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4890 "2025-08-20T18:19:54Z")
Ref the hover-over … I’m thinking that had the shrimp been transported by air then IATA would have gotten involved. All kinda hazmat violations in shipping undeclared radioactives. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4891 "2025-08-20T19:16:54Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Unfortunately, they won’t catch rotten shrimp, only radioactive ones. The shrimp were possibily contaminated in an irradiation facility which used a (leaky) cesium-137 source to sterilize the food. So your food might be radioactive but it shouldn’t be rotten. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4892 "2025-08-20T19:39:37Z")
And best of all, it’s self-microwaving. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4893 "2025-08-20T20:04:21Z")
But if they didn’t include the switch-off button they will be badly overcooked. Overcooked shrimps in the microwave are sad. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4894 "2025-08-20T20:19:24Z")
Convenience always comes with a cost. New! Improved! Self-cooking! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4895 "2025-08-20T20:45:04Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > By the way, did you know that our ports include a radiation portal that containers entering the country have to go through before exiting? It’s nice to know they work. You can fool those with enough shielding… but there are also sensors that detect radiation shielding, from the shadow they cast in the natural cosmic-ray background. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4896 "2025-08-20T20:49:44Z")
You can also put your own radiation source on the other side of the truck in case the natural amount isn’t enough for clear imagery. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4897 "2025-08-20T20:52:03Z")
That is so cool that you should re-post it in the random interesting facts thread: you can’t shield without making the shielding detectable and thus rising suspicion. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4898 "2025-08-20T23:00:26Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/5I7y0A5.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/5I7y0A5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4899 "2025-08-20T23:17:16Z")
Just head down the aisle a bit… [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/kOnQ7xa.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/kOnQ7xa) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4900 "2025-08-20T23:58:47Z")
It’s in the AI aisle, right above the Gansicam Godelle Foes. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4901 "2025-08-21T00:05:03Z")
And this was the fixed version where I told it to use realistic-sounding medications 🙂 . Still a lot of room for improvement… ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4902 "2025-08-21T00:19:29Z")
I would like some Canbutty please. Butter for your can? Cancer for your butt? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=244) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=246)